Disclosure Policy

Readers should be able to understand when a product review or related feature involves a material relationship with a brand, retailer, manufacturer or service provider. The Eastern Herald Reviews aims to make those relationships clear and distinguish editorial evaluation from advertising.

Products purchased, supplied or loaned

Products may be purchased by the newsroom, supplied without charge or provided temporarily on loan. Where the source of a product is material to understanding the review, that relationship should be disclosed. Receiving a product does not guarantee coverage or a positive conclusion.

Paid evaluation or production

A brand may fund defined production or evaluation work under a disclosed arrangement. Payment does not buy a favorable verdict, a specific rating, publication or control over editorial conclusions. If an arrangement is promotional rather than editorial, it should be labeled accordingly and kept distinct from an independent review.

Affiliate links and commissions

If affiliate links or commission-bearing links are used, the relevant page should clearly disclose that the publisher may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Commercial links should be marked appropriately for search engines, including the use of rel=”sponsored” where applicable. The presence of a commission does not determine the editorial verdict.

Advertising and sponsored content

Advertising, sponsored articles, paid brand spotlights and other promotional materials should be identifiable as such. They must not be presented in a way that misleads readers into believing they are independent editorial reviews.

What disclosure does not mean

A disclosure does not replace editorial scrutiny, and it does not excuse unsupported claims. We still aim to verify material facts, explain limitations and accurately describe the work performed.

Questions about a disclosure

Readers and brands may contact The Eastern Herald through the site’s Contact page to flag a specific disclosure concern. Requests are assessed on their merits and supporting information.

For the broader context, visit The Eastern Herald Reviews, read our Editorial Policy and see How We Test. Brands considering a commercial engagement can also review Product Review Partnerships.